Google LURKS Quietly in Samsung v. Apple

Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) has stayed out of the limelight as Samsung battles Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) in their patent infringement case in a California court, but the Android maker is quietly lending support to its hardware partner. Google has coordinated with Samsung over legal strategies, and in addition to giving advice, is even offering to look for prior evidence and help out with other legal processes, according to CNET.

In addition, Charles Verhoeven, who belongs to Google’s law firm of choice, Quinn Emanuel, is also a lead attorney for Samsung in the case. Verhoeven is also representing HTC and Motorola in patent litigation brought against them by Apple, as well as Barnes & Noble (NYSE:BKS), which also uses the Android operating system for its Nook e-book readers.

Of course, while Google is fighting these vicarious wars through its hardware partners, it still seems unwilling to get into a direct legal confrontation with Apple. “Google will want to stay away from this trial as much as possible,” Strategy Analytics’ Neil Shah told CNET. “They don’t want to directly confront Apple.”

Apple filed the lawsuit last year, alleging that Samsung’s smartphones and tablets violate its design and technical patents. The Korean company countersued, accusing the iPhone maker of infringing on its wireless technology patents. The case in the San Jose, California, court is one of several the two global market leaders have filed against each other across several countries. Samsung recently overtook Apple as the largest seller of smartphones in the world.